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Speaking of trucks

Clark Propst
 

I've been buying Kato ASF A-3 trucks for my box cars that required them. I found out yesterday they represent 70 ton trucks. Now I need to replace them!
Has anyone tried Intermountain wheel sets in the new Kadee two piece trucks?

Does anyone make a 70 ton Barber S2 truck? (Plain brg)

I have two Kadee box cars. One is an N&W 8' door the other is a WP, I've changes the running board to Morton on. I'm not happy with the rolling characteristics of either car. I would get rid of them, but like to have PS1s represented on the layout. I don't know what trucks should be under these two cars. Would appreciate some guidance here.

Thanks!
Clark Propst
Mason City Iowa
Ed Hawkins
 

On Oct 2, 2010, at 8:31 AM, Clark and Eileen wrote:

I've been buying Kato ASF A-3 trucks for my box cars that required
them. I found out yesterday they represent 70 ton trucks. Now I need
to replace them!
Has anyone tried Intermountain wheel sets in the new Kadee two piece
trucks?

Does anyone make a 70 ton Barber S2 truck? (Plain brg)

I have two Kadee box cars. One is an N&W 8' door the other is a WP,
I've changes the running board to Morton on. I'm not happy with the
rolling characteristics of either car. I would get rid of them, but
like to have PS1s represented on the layout. I don't know what trucks
should be under these two cars. Would appreciate some guidance here.
Clark,
Where did you hear that Kato A-3 trucks represent a 70-ton version? The
axle centers measure 5'-6", which is the correct dimension for 50-ton
trucks. The new TMW truck measures 5'-8" on the axle centers.

I'm not aware of any HO-scale plain bearing 70-ton Barber S-2 yet. In
hopes of filling this void I previously submitted requests for this
truck to two manufacturers.

Regarding the N&W PS-1s, some cars had Barber S-2 and others had A-3
Ride Control, therefore a car number is helpful. I presume your WP PS-1
is from series 20821-21400, which had Morton running boards/brake steps
as you stated. This series of cars had A-3 Ride Control trucks.
Regards,
Ed Hawkins
Tim O'Connor
 

Clark Propst wrote

I've been buying Kato ASF A-3 trucks for my box cars that required them.
I found out yesterday they represent 70 ton trucks. Now I need to replace
them!
Clark, I'm curious how this was determined. I've never been sure about
the Kato trucks -- the wheel base is 5'6" by my calipers, correct for most
50 ton trucks. But the journals appear to be 6x11 which would be for a
70 ton truck. Most 70 ton trucks have a 5'8" wheel base.

The Katos are beautiful models, but I've never been happy with the wheels
or axles, or their performance.

Tim O'Connor
Tim O'Connor
 

Kadee's new HGC trucks have excellent performance. Compared to the
old metal sideframes it's like night and day.

Have you got car numbers for the N&W and WP cars? Those two railroads
had multiple orders of PS-1's.

Tim O'Connor

I have two Kadee box cars. One is an N&W 8' door the other is a WP, I've changes the running board to Morton on. I'm not happy with the rolling characteristics of either car. I would get rid of them, but like to have PS1s represented on the layout. I don't know what trucks should be under these two cars. Would appreciate some guidance here.
Clark Propst
brianleppert@att.net
 

IMO, the Kato journals are the right size for 5-1/2"x10" journals--50-ton. The Kato A-3 truck has the proper wheelbase, 5'-6", for a 50-ton truck, and their spring detail represents the 5 coil grouping of a 50-ton A-3 truck. These are spaced in a 2-3-2 pattern, with a visual gap between the front springs. The two front springs are close together on A-3 70-ton trucks.

However, Kato's 50-ton A-3 truck was made for their 70-ton covered hopper, and that's why Kato's website falsely claims it to be a 70-ton truck, I guess.

Brian Leppert
Tahoe Model Works
Carson City, NV

--- In STMFC@yahoogroups.com, Tim O'Connor <timboconnor@...> wrote:

Clark Propst wrote

I've been buying Kato ASF A-3 trucks for my box cars that required them.
I found out yesterday they represent 70 ton trucks. Now I need to replace
them!
Clark, I'm curious how this was determined. I've never been sure about
the Kato trucks -- the wheel base is 5'6" by my calipers, correct for most
50 ton trucks. But the journals appear to be 6x11 which would be for a
70 ton truck. Most 70 ton trucks have a 5'8" wheel base.

The Katos are beautiful models, but I've never been happy with the wheels
or axles, or their performance.

Tim O'Connor
Clark Propst
 

Thanks Ed,
The Kato website says they're 70 ton! They were made for their 1958 cu ft covered hopper. Glad to hear they're 50 ton !!!

The N&W Kadee model is #44324. I have documents for 2 cars in that series.
N&W 44456 44000-44999 XM furniture 1/4/59
N&W 44672 44000-44999 XM lumber 7/17/59
Matt S.
 

I have replaced all the wheelsets in my Kato ASF trucks with Reboxx wheels...A bit spendy, but it certainly makes them look and roll better...

Matt Sugerman
Ft. Worth, TX

--- In STMFC@yahoogroups.com, Tim O'Connor <timboconnor@...> wrote:

The Katos are beautiful models, but I've never been happy with the wheels
or axles, or their performance.

Tim O'Connor
Ed Hawkins
 

On Oct 2, 2010, at 3:27 PM, cepropst@q.com wrote:

Thanks Ed,
The Kato website says they're 70 ton! They were made for their 1958
cu ft covered hopper. Glad to hear they're 50 ton !!!

The N&W Kadee model is #44324. I have documents for 2 cars in that
series.
N&W 44456 44000-44999 XM furniture 1/4/59
N&W 44672 44000-44999 XM lumber 7/17/59
Clark,
The Pullman-Standard builder's photo from this lot just happened to be
44324. The car had A-3 Ride Control trucks.
Regards,
Ed Hawkins
Clark Propst
 

Thanks to everyone for the detective work on the Kato truck. Makes my life a lot easier : )

Brian, will you be at Naperville this year?

Matt, I've replaced the Kato wheels sets with Reboxx also, but didn't notice any differece. Unless the Reboxx rolled worse?
Maybe I'm using the wrong size, but used the size Reboxx recommends?

Clark Propst
Clark Propst
 

Gosh, you don't suppose Kadee used that photo do you : )))

Thanks Ed!
Clark Propst


The Pullman-Standard builder's photo from this lot just happened to >be 44324. The car had A-3 Ride Control trucks.
Regards,
Ed Hawkins
brianleppert@att.net
 

--- In STMFC@yahoogroups.com, cepropst@... wrote:

Brian, will you be at Naperville this year?
No, I won't be there.

Brian Leppert
Tahoe Model Works
Carson City, NV
brianleppert@att.net
 

Well, reading over this message I wrote, I see I screwed up on the spring grouping. Here's a correction:

50-ton A-3 trucks have 5 coil springs in each side frame, grouped 2-1-2.
70-ton A-3 trucks have 7 coil springs in each side frame, grouped 2-3-2.

Brian Leppert
Tahoe Model Works
Carson City, NV

--- In STMFC@yahoogroups.com, "brianleppert@..." <brianleppert@...> wrote:

for a 50-ton truck, and their spring detail represents the 5 coil grouping of a 50-ton A-3 truck. These are spaced in a 2-3-2 pattern, with a visual gap
Tim O'Connor
 

Just an FYI, according to an ASF advertisement in the 1961 CBC

-- over one million ASF Ride Control trucks in service in 1961
-- over one half of all new freight cars were being purchased
with ASF Ride Control trucks by 1961

The first number is especially interesting because it means over
30% of ALL freight cars of all types had ASF Ride Control trucks
by 1961. I don't know whether they were all "A-3" trucks however.
ASF also made other trucks -- Intermountain made an ASF truck for
its model of the SFRD refrigerator cars.

Tim O'Connor
-------------------------------------

Well, reading over this message I wrote, I see I screwed up on the
spring grouping. Here's a correction:

50-ton A-3 trucks have 5 coil springs in each side frame, grouped 2-1-2.
70-ton A-3 trucks have 7 coil springs in each side frame, grouped 2-3-2.

Brian Leppert
Tahoe Model Works
Carson City, NV
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